Lessons in Love
by Ticklesivory
Summary: Obidala. The kids are grown and the house is empty. Padmé is discovering her life is suddenly full of changes, which would be okay if she weren't so alone. Then she meets someone special whom she believes might be able to fill that void.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: ** Lessons in Love

**Author: **Ticklesivory

**Summary: ** The kids are grown and the house is empty. Padmé is discovering her life is suddenly full of changes, which would be okay if she weren't so alone. Then she meets someone special whom she believes might be able to fill that void.

**Author's Note: **I'm pretty clear on the definitions of Alternative Universe and Alternate Reality. This story would probably fall right in the middle of both. I've removed the Force, the Jedi and the Sith, and there is no trilogy history. We're still in a Galaxy Far, Far Away, but our favorite characters are just regular people with regular problems, trying to live regular lives.

**Warnings: **None, really. I'm going to keep this one pretty clean. Probably PG-13. (T)

* * *

The Galactic City Transport Station was crowded as usual and the heat of the summer made being there almost unbearable. Most beings used the free mode of travel to make their way to the space port, where they would board a ship destined to another planet. Others took advantage of the system to travel to a specific workplace, or perhaps to venture out shopping. Galactic City was the central hub of the galaxy and highly populated. If anything exciting happened in the galaxy, it happened here. The sky traffic was heavy, the street traffic was heavy, and Padmé Amidala found it exhilarating.

She hadn't always felt that way. Her home planet of Naboo was quite the opposite. Its main city of Theed was quaint and pastoral, peaceful and subdued. When she thought of home, the word 'dull' often came to mind. Ever since she was a girl, living in Galactic City had always been her goal. To get here, she had studied politics, earning her degree at Theed University. Her parents had tried to convince her to stay and serve in Theed, but her mind was set on bigger things. At the age of twenty-four, she had managed to secure a position in Galactic City, representing her sector as their senator. She had achieved her dream; only now coming to realize the pain her mother must've felt when she had left Naboo.

Padmé's only daughter, Leia, was also leaving her home planet. And not just the planet, but the entire system. Due to her exemplary scores in political science and her long history of volunteer work, she had been offered a full academic scholarship to Aldera City University on Alderaan. She would be hundreds of parsecs away from home, and that knowledge nearly broke Padmé's heart.

She wiped away yet another tear from her face quickly before her daughter noticed it. Leia was going to first say goodbye to her father, who had wisely positioned himself further down the platform. Although they were occasionally forced to communicate for the children's sake, when they were in public, they typically did not associate with one another. It had been her decision and it was a good one; especially when he chose to dress like a rock star and hang around women half his age.

"What's this one's name?"

Her best friend, Dormé had stepped up to her side after leaving to buy something to quench their thirst. She offered Padmé a drink of it.

"That one would be Chermira," Padmé answered, passing the bottle of water back. "You know her. She works at the shop."

"I don't remember her figure being that…sensual." Dormé pointed out something Padmé had already noticed. She kept telling herself she wasn't jealous. Nothing that Chermira possessed was anything Padmé wanted. Besides, she was in her forties now and her priorities had changed.

"It's amazing what winning a few races will buy," she told her friend. Although, their communication was somewhat limited, whenever she did speak with Anakin, he'd always make a point to let her know how well he was doing in the racing circuit, how many credits he was winning, and how many ships he owned.

He even ran his own business nowadays: Skywalker Station located in Galactic City, where he built ships for racing, as well as trained the pilots who would fly them. Anakin's obsession had unfortunately been passed onto their son, Luke – Leia's twin. It was a great relief to Padmé when Luke chose the path of the military instead of competition.

Padmé actually was thankful to Anakin for one thing: During their ten-year marriage, he had been absent enough that the children had been under her influence and not his. Padmé had used that opportunity to convince her daughter to be herself and study hard, and her son to use his abilities for something worthwhile.

Finally, Leia had managed to slip away from her father and was walking towards them. Regrettably, she was not coming alone. Padmé hid her disappointment and smiled at her beautiful daughter anyway. How had she grown up so quickly?

Dormé received the first hug goodbye and returned it with sincerity. "Take care of yourself, Punk, and don't forget to comm your mom. She's going to miss you something awful."

"I will," Leia assured the woman whom she had come to consider part of her family.

Her daughter's attention finally turned to her, and Padmé held onto the young woman fiercely, feeling her eyes beginning to spill over again.

"Mom," Leia softly spoke, holding on just as tightly, "try not to worry. I'll be back during fall break, and that's not far off."

"I know," Padmé sniffled, and withdrew to study her daughter's face. "If you need anything…"

"…contact the Organas. You've told me this like a thousand times already. I'll be fine." The young college student smiled as the first warning bell rang.

"You'd better hurry," her mother prompted.

Leia grabbed her shoulder bag, kissed her father's cheek once more and hugged his girlfriend. She then hugged Dormé, kissed her mother, and was on her way.

"I love you!" Padmé shouted before she had walked too far off.

The young woman boarded the transport, but turned in the doorway to wave. "Love you too!" she yelled back.

And then she was gone.


	2. Chapter 2

**Lessons in Love/Chapter Two**

* * *

The apartment Padmé had called home for the past ten years was lavish, but she had done all she could to turn it into a home. Photos of her children and other family members were gathered on tabletops and hung decoratively on the walls. She had once cherished these mementos, but now they only reminded her that her home was empty, and she was going to be very lonely.

She picked up an empty teacup she had left on the end table earlier that morning and took it to the kitchen. As she did so, Padmé literally shook off her remorse and pinned up her hair. If Leia saw the way she was acting right now, or even Luke, she would be embarrassed. Determined to act as strong as she knew she was, Padmé dried her tears and went to her office. Surely, there was some work that needed to be done.

An hour later, she had done very little actual work and sat staring at a blank datascreen. This was ridiculous, she told herself. If she were going to have a pity party, then she might as well invite guests.

Within a half hour after contacting Dormé, her best friend strolled into the apartment and handed her a dark bottle.

"Corellian whiskey. Nice," Padmé said with appreciation. "You brought the strong stuff."

"It sounded like you needed it." While Dormé removed her light cloak, Padmé went to the kitchen and retrieved two tumblers. As they had done on a few occasions in the past, she met her friend out on the veranda and poured them both a glass.

Dormé lifted hers in the air. "Pain makes you stronger. Tears make you braver. Heartbreak makes you wiser. And whiskey makes you not remember any of that crap. Cheers."

"Cheers," Padmé responded, tapping her glass against her friend's before taking a swig. She scowled as the liquid burned its way down her throat.

"Oh yeah…" her friend growled. "That'll do the trick."

Both women sat down on two cushioned recliners that faced the passing traffic. Padmé had always enjoyed sitting out here watching the colored lights streaming by while she listened to the vibrant life of the city, but this time there was an emptiness inside she realized couldn't be filled with alcohol. She took another sip anyway.

"What is it?" Dormé asked after a long moment of silence. "Was it seeing Anakin again or was it the tramp he was with?"

Seeing her ex with women of loose morals stopped bothering Padmé a long time ago. "Neither, actually," she responded, rolling her head to look at her friend. How could she explain how she was feeling? Dormé and her husband, Garen, had decided long ago not to have children. It was their choice, and she wasn't judging them, but she couldn't possibly relate to the loss Padmé felt.

What was so crazy is that she'd prepared for this! She knew this day was coming and yet, she wasn't handling it very well at all.

"What am I supposed to do with all my time? How am I supposed to cook dinner for just one person? What about all this space I don't need? Why do I need three bedrooms?"

Dormé listened intently to her whining and then refilled her glass. "Breathe," she coaxed her. "And take another drink."

"That's not going to help."

Dormé demonstrated her own advice and tilted her glass back. "It will for tonight. After that, one day at a time. Just one day at a time. You can do this and if you need me, I'm right down the street."

That was the problem, thought Padmé; or part of it. During her breakdown, she had come to a decision and now was a perfect time to share it.

"I'm going to look for another apartment. Something smaller. Maybe something closer to work." She took another drink, and noticed the liquid didn't seem so toxic any more.

"That's your solution? To pour yourself into your job? Bad idea, Amidala."

"Is that so?" Padmé was aware her friend only used her maiden name when she was trying to make a point, but she was also aware her words were becoming slurred, and she set the drink down on a nearby table.

"You're damn right it is. I'll tell you what you need to do. You need to get laid."

"Don't bring that up again," Padmé pleaded.

"I have to! You didn't listen to me the last time I said it. And when was that...Ten years ago?"

"It hasn't been that long. More like seven."

Dormé laughed loudly and rather sarcastically. "Are you talking about the waiter in that hotel? That doesn't count! It takes two."

"Blast…" uttered Padmé. "Has it really been that long?"

Her friend downed the rest of her drink and then picked up Padmé's and finished it off as well. "If you insist on moving, then you need to move to where the action is. Somewhere you can meet new people; particularly men. If you don't, you're going to end up living alone the rest of your life."

The advice was blunt, but it was truthful. Her choice of eligible bachelors in the Senate was quite limited. Either they were far too old or of a species incompatible with humans. But she wasn't about to start hanging out in clubs. She was too old for such nonsense.

"I'm going home," Dormé announced, stumbling to her feet.

"Want me to call a cab?"

"Nah, I'll be okay. The walk will do me some good."

Padmé handed Dormé her cloak and then escorted her to the door. They hugged briefly before saying goodbye. She then went back to her office and contacted Garen to make sure her friend made it home safely.

Her head was fuzzy and she wanted to go straight to bed, but Padmé noticed she'd received an incoming message. It must've come while she'd been outside; Something from Galactic City College. Curious, she opened it. Specifically, it was an invitation from the Department of Social Sciences. They wanted her to give a lecture at their summer polysci conference. The topic was "Political Development in Outer Rim Territories." How could she refuse? She had spent most of her time as a teenager volunteering for the Youth Legislative Program in the Outer Rim. She was quite familiar with the area as well as the subject.

Before she talked herself out of it, Padmé sent an acceptance message. Maybe this would be the change she needed and would help get her out of her funk.

Pleased with her decision, Padmé switched off the comm and went to bed.


	3. Chapter 3

**Lessons in Love/Chapter Three**

* * *

There was a roll call today in the senate and Padmé had to be there despite the fact she had a mild hangover. A couple of pain killers should help, and she swallowed them down with a cup of caff in her kitchen, spying the offensive dark bottle on the counter. She and Dormé had managed to finish off about half of the whiskey last night, and she considered dumping out the rest. There was no telling how much Dormé paid for it though, so she shoved it into the back of the cooling unit instead.

After getting ready for her day, Padmé checked her messages, practically collapsing into the chair when one stood out from the rest. She opened it and was momentarily confused. The Dean of Social Sciences was thanking her for accepting his invitation to give a lecture at Galactic City College.

What?

"Blast!" Padmé backed up and retrieved her outgoing messages, only to discover that indeed, in her semi-drunken stupor, she had sent a confirmation.

As she usually did when faced with a difficult decision, she commed her best friend.

"Dormé!" she shouted as soon as the woman's face appeared on the screen.

"Shhhhhh! Why are you talking so loud?"

"Sorry." Padmé had forgotten that most of the whiskey last night had been consumed by her pal. "But you are not going to believe what I did!"

"Got on a lift with another waiter?" She was joking, but there was a hopeful glint in her friend's bloodshot eyes.

"Even hungover, you're still a smartass," Padmé teased. "No. Apparently, I accepted an invitation to speak at a college seminar this summer."

"Great!" Dormé groaned, leaned forward and propped her head on one hand.

"How is that great? You know I don't like speaking to teenagers! They're so…judgmental and full of themselves. I can barely talk to my own."

"I meant 'great' because while you're there, maybe you'll meet someone."

"Seriously? You're confusing me with my ex. Anakin's the one who has affairs with minors, not me."

"So, what are you going to do? Cancel?"

Dormé knew her well, and that's probably what she expected Padmé to do. Well, too bad! It was time for a new chapter in her life to begin. She would surprise Dormé and herself and stick to her agreement. Hopefully, she wouldn't regret that decision.

* * *

The auditorium was filling up, which was unexpected. The Dean had told her he anticipated half capacity, but it was almost time to begin and there were very few empty seats. These kids were either bored or some professor was giving them extra credit for attending, Padmé figured.

She gripped her datapad tightly and listened intently as Dean Grinwhit introduced her. The applause was scattered, but their faces were attentive and friendly. She stood behind the podium and scanned the crowd, quickly noticing that the majority of it was male. That made sense. Galactic politics in general, was male dominated.

She began speaking, at first relying heavily on her notes. However, after making her second and most important point, she stepped out from behind the podium and addressed the crowd from memory, making eye contact with as many listeners as she could. This was a topic she knew a lot about, and that knowledge boosted her confidence. She spoke as an expert on the subject and her words were enunciated and precise.

That is, until she was drawn to a particular attendee. First row, far side, aisle seat. He couldn't be a student. He was more mature than that. Perhaps a few years older than she was but no more. He was smiling at her, but not in a flirtatious way like many of the young men in the audience. What was it about him that had grabbed her attention? Padmé forced herself to look away, only then becoming aware that she had suddenly stopped speaking. In fact, she couldn't even remember what she'd been saying.

Hurriedly, she returned to the podium, found her place in her notes and began talking again, doing her best not to look back at the handsome stranger.

Padmé managed to complete her speech with poise, but was secretly horrified to have stumbled through part of it.

Still, her audience didn't seem bothered by her mistake and even gave her a standing ovation. Afterward, she gathered her datapad and cloak and shook a few hands of the students as they filed out. The Dean even congratulated her on what he called an 'invigorating and informative' recitation. Padmé thanked him and stepped off the stage, coming face to the face with the cause for her blunder.

He was smiling at her again, but she concluded it wasn't his smile that had distracted her. It was his eyes. They were the most amazing shade of gray. No, green. Maybe blue?

"Senator Amidala, that was an amazing presentation." He spoke with a soothing central coruscanti accent and offered her his hand in greeting. "I'm Professor Kenobi. You can call me, Obi-Wan. It's a pleasure to meet you."

His auburn hair was tousled, but neatly styled; as was his short beard, which was trimmed and slightly graying along the edges. He was dressed like a professor with an embroidered burgundy tunic and gray tweed overcoat.

"Likewise," Padmé shook his hand and smiled. "You may called me Padmé."

"Very well, Padmé." He smiled again, the action forming fine wrinkles to appear around his gray-green-blue eyes. "You made some excellent points, which I would like to revisit, if you have the time. For academic purposes, of course."

"Certainly," Padmé accepted, trying not to sound as nervous as she felt. It had been a long time since she had kept company with such a good-looking man. "I just hope I can manage to explain myself without stammering as I did earlier."

He gazed at her with a twinkle in his eye and a quirk of his lip. "That? Don't worry about it. It happens to the best of us."

He kindly offered her his arm, which she accepted graciously, and even offered to carry her cloak. They began walking toward the exit and it didn't bother her that she had no idea where they were going.

"It's almost time for mid meal," he told her "If you're hungry, we can head down to the school cafeteria. They're serving nerf-stuffed tubers today, which are better than they sound, actually."

"That would be perfect," Padmé agreed.

As they strolled through the university hallways, she couldn't help but notice the way some of the female students looked at the man on her arm. She had seen those types of looks before; every time she had gone out with her ex-husband, for example. The difference was, even when the beautiful ones said hello, he barely acknowledged them. Anakin, on the other hand, would nearly break his neck watching an attractive woman walk by. Obi-Wan was focused solely on her, and it convinced Padmé to hold onto his arm just a little more tightly.


	4. Chapter 4

**Lessons in Love/Chapter Four**

* * *

The atmosphere of the university cafeteria was similar to her alma mater's as Padmé recalled. Students were coming and going, seemingly in a hurry to get to class. Others were multitasking by eating and studying at the same time. Very few seemed to be there to socialize or enjoy a meal.

Padmé had taken a seat as Obi-Wan had requested and was waiting for him to bring their food. If it was anything like she remembered, it would only bear a faint resemblance to something edible.

When Obi-Wan returned, he placed a dish in front of her and then seated himself across the table and grinned. "I know it doesn't look like much, but give it a try."

Fork in hand, Padmé pushed around a mushy, cylindrical object oozing dark brown sludge. She had second thoughts about being brave, but noticed he was watching her. After gathering her courage, she placed a bite inside her mouth, chewed a little and then swallowed quickly.

"Well?" he asked while looking hopeful.

Padmé grinned and dabbed her lips with a napkin. "It has an interesting texture."

His face wore a humorous expression before he began eating himself. In between bites, he asked her questions and listened to her answers intently. "You spoke about the Outer Rim as if you've been there yourself. Tatooine, Rishi, Hoth: I've only read or watched educational holovids about them."

Padmé toyed with her food as she explained. "When I was young, I was part of a charity organization that traveled all over the galaxy. As a result, I had the opportunity to observe many cultures and help out villagers who were in need."

"That's fantastic," he replied, then took another bite and leaned forward onto the table. "And where did you study?"

"I have dual degrees actually in political science and psychology from Theed." That was enough about her. "And yourself? Do you like to travel?"

Obi-Wan smirked and ate some more. "I was born here, graduated from here and work here. I've only been off this planet once and that was to…"

For some reason, he'd stopped talking. Was he choking?

"Are you all right?"

"Yes, I'm sorry," he chuckled. "But can we consider this_ not_ a date?"

It was an odd question, but it had raised her curiosity. "Sure, if that's what you'd like."

"Good," he explained, "because I feel compelled to tell you about myself, but I know that as a rule, on a first date, you don't do that; especially when it comes to past romantic relationships."

Padmé leaned forward and touched his hand. Her contact drew both their attention and brought a blush to her cheek. She withdrew immediately and placed it in her lap. "I want to learn more about you, so please continue."

"The only other place I've been is Foerost." He lifted his eyes from the table to check her reaction.

It was the last place she had imagined he would say. "The honeymoon planet?"

"You see why I hesitated? That's correct. I was receiving a first year professor's salary, and it was the best I could do. I was young; gosh, twenty-one I think. I'd saved for months and not only had to pay for a transport to get there for an acceptance interview but I also had to make a substantial deposit."

Was he married? It was something Padmé hadn't thought of. She tried to discretely glance at his ring finger, but his other hand was covering it. Blast! "Did you have a good time?"

"Didn't get to go back after that. My fiancé left town with my best man the following week; two days before our wedding actually."

"Wow. How awful! I'm so sorry."

"It was a bad experience, but I survived. I lost my deposit, by the way. What can I say? I was young. I didn't know any better. I choose the women I date much more carefully these days."

Padmé would've blushed but then she remembered: This wasn't an actual date.

Obi-Wan pushed aside his empty plate, making her aware she'd barely touched her food. It was cold by now anyway, and she lay her napkin on top of it before he noticed. "Your turn," he prompted, smiling.

"Wait, I thought we were here to discuss my lecture." She was only half teasing. His motives may have been ulterior, but she was enjoying his company so much, she really didn't mind.

Again, he chuckled in a particularly charming way. "All right, I confess. Although I did find your presentation intriguing, I found the presenter far more enchanting."

'Enchanting.' It wasn't a word she'd heard very often. She liked it and this time, she did blush a little.

"That's sweet of you," Padmé told him while quickly filing away things in her mind she was definitely not sharing; especially on their first non-date. "When I was fifteen, I visited Tatooine on a relief mission. It was there I met this boy named Anakin. He was truly gifted in anything mechanical and eventually won a pod race there which earned him enough credits to leave the system. I lost track of him until about nine years later. He looked me up and the rest is history. We have two beautiful children, Luke and Leia. Leia is attending Aldara City University and Luke has joined the military. Am I telling you too much?"

"Not at all. Please continue." Obi-Wan persuaded.

"What else would you like to know?"

He was suddenly tense she noticed. "I don't know how to be polite about this, so I'll just say it: Are the two of you still together?"

Ah, now she understood. She should've mentioned that part. "Right after the children were born, Anakin got a big break and received a sponsorship for the Kessel Run. He won that race which led to more and before you knew it, he was never home."

"Long distance relationships can be tough," Obi-Wan commented.

"Yes they can, but that's not what ended our marriage. The dozen or so mistresses he met on tour accomplished that."

"Oh."

"What's worse is that after the first, I took him back. I guess I'm naive."

"Or just too kind and forgiving, I think." Obi-Wan tilted his head. He was studying her, when she was the one with a psychology degree!

"Easily convinced more than likely," she argued. "Anakin can be quite charming when he wants to be. I fell for that charm in the beginning, but after I realized he wasn't going to change, my skin grew a little thicker, and I couldn't put up with it any more."

"Any regrets?" he asked, leaning back in his seat.

Since her divorce, Padmé had frequently considered that very question, and in time had come to a conclusion. "About marrying Anakin? No, not really. It wasn't all bad. And besides, if I hadn't met him, I wouldn't have my two beautiful kids."

"I'd like to meet them someday."

"I'll see that you do," she told him and she meant it.

His serious manner abruptly turned playful as he pointed to her hidden meal. "You're not fooling me. Didn't care for it, huh?"

"If you honestly do, there's something wrong with your taste buds." She'd had such a good time conversing with Obi-Wan, she didn't want it to end, which gave her idea. She took a deep breath to help gather her courage. "I'm actually a pretty good cook and I'd like to invite you to my home for dinner. This weekend maybe?"

His grin broadened. "It's a date."

They spent their remaining mealtime exchanging contact information and working out the details. Afterward, Padmé couldn't help thinking how proud Dormé was going to be to hear the news.


	5. Chapter 5

**Lessons in Love/Chapter Five**

* * *

She was nervous, but she had followed her mother's recipe to the letter. Just one more peek.

Stay calm. Everything was ok.

Padmé shut the oven door for the fifth time and double checked to make sure the heating unit was set to warm. The meat was tender and the vegetables weren't over cooked. As long as she didn't burn it, dinner would be as good as she'd boasted.

Now, all she needed to do was take the time to work on herself. Padmé stepped inside her wardrobe and picked out one of her favorite gowns. She often wore it to the senate building; but it occurred to her she wasn't going to work, so she changed her mind and hung it back up. Toward the rear was a more casual dress that draped low on the neck. It was flowery and lightweight; perfect for a late summer evening out on the veranda. She touched up her makeup, and the pinned her long, dark hair up, allowing a few curls to cascade across her shoulders. Satisfied with it, she went to put on her dress when she heard her front door open and shut. Padmé checked the table chrono and realized it was another hour before Obi-Wan was supposed to arrive. He wouldn't barge in anyway. Who could that be?

The security in her apartment was strict, so it had to be someone she knew or else they wouldn't have been admitted. It was probably Dormé, she figured, but just in case, Padmé put on a robe and grabbed a tazer from her nightstand.

She entered her living area cautiously. "Dormé? Is that you?"

Just then, a clanging sound came from the kitchen, and Padmé prepared her weapon, peeked around the corner, and witnessed her son carving up her perfect dinner.

"Luke! What are you doing? You scared me half to death!"

"Sorry mom," the young man managed to say even though his mouth was packed with food. "I couldn't answer you. I was so hungry, and this smelled so good! This is nerf roast, right? It's been a long time since you made this. It's always been one of my favorites."

A couple of the vegetables she had carefully prepared were stabbed with his fork and went directly into his mouth. Padmé bit her tongue. "What are you doing here?"

He chewed and swallowed before he spoke like she had taught him since he was a toddler. "My squadron is on leave for a few days. We're getting shipped out to Ryloth."

Her heart rate increased. "That's in the Outer Rim. Are they having trouble?"

"No, nothing like that. We're just going to be running a few exercises. That's all. Do you want me to fix you a plate?"

What could she say? The dinner was topsy turvy now, and Luke was here. "Sure. Not that much meat for me. I'll be right back. I need to use the comm."

She couldn't face him, not using the live feed mode anyway. Instead, she chose to used text to send her message.

Dear Obi-Wan,

I'm sorry, but I must cancel our dinner for this evening. My son, Luke, dropped in for a visit just now, and it's been so long since I've seen him, I would like to spend some time with him. I hope you understand, and perhaps we can try it again soon.

Sincerely, Padmé

The message was sent, delivered, and marked as read. It was a short moment before a reply came through.

Dear Padmé,

I'm so glad you get to spend some time with Luke. I know you must've been missing him. Enjoy your evening. We'll get together soon.

Sincerely, Obi-Wan.

He didn't sound upset, but she had cancelled on such short notice. She would send him another message in the next few days to test the water, so to speak. In the meanwhile, she would enjoy visiting with her boy.

The plate Luke fixed for her was overflowing with food. There was no way she could eat half of what he'd put there. On the other hand, he was eating like a bantha who had a hole in its stomach. She smiled at him, despite his vivacious appetite. She'd always enjoyed watching her children eat well.

"This is so much better than anything they have in the mess hall," he stated. "There's this stuff they serve once a week called tubers. Have you ever had any of that stuff?"

As a matter of fact...thought Padmé.

"It's just nasty, let me tell you," he concluded, which she had to agree with.

"How's your pilot training going?" she asked him, choosing a small piece of roast.

"Get this, mom. I did so well with my airmanship, that I get to test fly one of the new B-Wing fighters. They're not as fast as I like, but they've got a lot of power and can even bust a blockade."

When Luke managed to take a breath between gorging himself and talking, he checked the personal chrono he wore on his wrist.

"That sounds wonderful, Luke."

"How are you doing?" he asked.

"Me? I'm fine. Just slaving away in the senate as usual," she answered him, noting he had checked his timepiece again. "Do you have somewhere you need to be?" Padmé finally had to ask.

"Yeah, I"m sorry mom, but there's this new club downtown and I'm supposed to meet some of the other cadets there soon. I hope you won't..."

"Don't worry about it," Padmé interrupted. "Go on out with your friends and have a good time. You're young. That's what you should do."

"Thanks mom, you're the best. I'll see you in the morning," Luke told her before he jumped up from his seat, kissed her on the cheek and rushed to the door.

"Don't stay out too late and let me know when you come in or you might get tazed!" she warned him

"Sure thing! Love you, Mom!"

The door shut and silence once again filled her home.

Just great. She had cancelled her date, only to spend another evening alone; and now she had dishes to wash.


	6. Chapter 6

**Lessons in Love/Chapter Six**

* * *

The public park she had walked past bore witness of the changing of the seasons and energized Padmé's step. This was her favorite time of the year. The leaves had transitioned into vibrant shades of scarlet and gold, and the breeze was crisp and cool. It was also the opening day of the Multisystem Market; something which had become an annual event she and Dormé participated in. The day coincided with the autumn solstice, and just so happened to be right before Garen's birthday.

Dormé and her husband, Garen, had what Padmé would define as a peculiar relationship. Each significant occasion in their lives, be it birthdays or anniversaries, was a challenge for them to find the most unusual gifts to exchange.

The open market on Coruscant was the perfect place to find such an item. Vendors from all over the galaxy came to trade or sell their goods which were unique to their culture.

Padmé stood at the entrance, waiting. It wasn't long before she could see Dormé approach. The two women hugged enthusiastically.

"Sorry I'm late," Dormé said.

"You aren't. I was early. I'm looking forward to this. I do every year though."

"Me too," her friend agreed with a smile. "Let's get started."

The two women walked arm and arm at first, but the search soon intensified, and they split apart. There were simply too many booths to look at together. Padmé had no idea what Dormé would want this year, but she knew it had to be something strange and surprising. She went from booth to booth observing, inspecting, and discussing what she'd found. In her experiences, most of the dealers were fair and honest, but there was occasionally one who wasn't. Padmé hoped she had learned enough by now to tell the difference. In any case, she enjoyed speaking with vendors. It gave her the opportunity to practice all the languages she had once known.

"How about this?" Dormé approached her from behind, holding what appeared to be a sculpture of a duck. It was definitely phallic in shape.

"It's from Kalarba, and is made from the fossilized penis of a blurrg. It serves two purposes actually; either as a decoration or as a…"

Dormé finally noticed the look of complete disgust on Padmé's face.

"Ok. Maybe not," she decided, turning around to return the item.

The search continued but the longer she looked, the more interest Padmé was losing. There had been times she and Dormé had spent hours perusing aisle after aisle until finding the perfect gift, but today, her heart just wasn't in it.

There was a pending problem on her mind she needed to discuss with Dormé. She was just waiting for the right time. Padmé found it ironic that she had no problem dealing with difficult decisions at work, but when it came to her personal life, she didn't seem to trust her own judgment. Too many bad decisions in the past had probably damaged her confidence in that area.

"Hey," Dormé approached her once more, catching Padmé lost in thought as she studied a particularly colorful rock. "Let's go to the Byss booth and I'll buy you a fizzlepop."

The two sat at a small table right next to the vendor and enjoyed their drinks. The bubbles and occasional bursting of the small digestible beads in it always caused Padmé's nose to itch.

"Tell me what's on your mind," her friend prompted, stabbing at the beads with her straw to see if they'd float. "Is it that Obi-Wan guy you told me about? Have you still not heard from him?"

"No, not yet." Padmé frowned.

"I thought you were going to contact him? What happened?"

"I was already uncomfortable inviting him to my house for dinner. I didn't want to look pitiful and desperate."

"Or modern and independent… I see."

She ignored the sarcasm in Dormé's voice. This was an old argument between them they had decided just to ignore. One of those agree to disagree things. Padmé considered herself old-fashioned and had decided long ago there was nothing wrong with that. She was also a realist and didn't like forcing anything to happen. Things such as this should occur naturally. If it was meant to be, then it would be; without any help from her.

"How long has it been? Two weeks?"

"Three," Padmé corrected. "And not a word." She had gone over their lunch conversation a half dozen times in her head and found no fault in any of her shared history or opinions. Personally, she had enjoyed his company and thought he felt the same….

"Maybe he's just busy. The new semester is about to start you know."

She was correct, and it was the reason her mind was so preoccupied. "That's what I wanted to talk to about," she explained. "I received another communique from the college. Apparently, there's a teaching position open in the psychology department. They've offered me a job. It's only part-time."

Dormé had been quietly listening, unable to hide her surprise. Her eyes were wide with apprehension. "Are you considering it? I thought teenagers made you nervous."

"They do…I mean, they did." Padmé tried to explain. "When I gave my presentation, though, I found it far more satisfying that I'd imagined. I actually enjoyed getting a chance to share my knowledge and experiences with an audience who didn't argue with me. It was rather refreshing."

"It's your professor boyfriend you're worried about, isn't it?"

Perception had always been one of Dormé's gifts.

"I invited him to dinner and then cancelled an hour before. I haven't heard from him and now I'm just going to show up at his work? How's that going to look?"

"Like you're wanting to try something new? Expand your horizons and take advantage of fresh opportunities! Who cares? If this is what you want to do, then do it! Just be sure you're doing it for right reasons. That way, you won't have any regrets."

Wise words, which did help some, although Padmé realized she was going to have to think on this some more before she made up her mind.


	7. Chapter 7

**Lessons in Love/Chapter Seven**

* * *

_Objective One: Explain why using our intuition about everyday __behavior is insufficient for a complete understanding of the causes of_  
_behavior._

Padmé studied her notes on her datapad once more. She had spent a lot of the past week trying to create a lesson plan for her intro to psychology course, which she would begin teaching tomorrow. Tomorrow! She was nervous as well as excited about the chance to share her knowledge with a group of learners.

The tricky part was creating a lesson plan that would cover the entire forty-five minutes of the class. She had her lecture outlined, a  
reading assignment, as well as a composition topic. She was as prepared as she could be.

Her hair was still damp from the shower she had taken earlier, and Padmé toweled the ends dry while seated on her sofa. She was going to wake earlier to get prepared for her day the following morning, but she didn't want to have to dry her hair – a process that took far too long. She would much rather spend that time settling her nerves and looking over her notes for the hundredth time, knowing that doing so was probably only adding to her nervousness.

Perhaps a hot cup of tea would help. Then, she would enjoy a nice, quiet evening; maybe read a romance novel before going to bed.

She rose to enter the kitchen when an incoming call chime sounded. On the comm was her daughter, Leia, and she did not look like herself. The girl had obviously been crying.

"Mom?"

"Honey, is everything all right? What's the matter?" Padmé sat back down on the sofa. She had a feeling this was going to take a while.

Leia sniffed and wiped her face with a tissue before she began. "I met this guy. He's a grad student in Trade Management and Acquisitions. We met at this mixer and I thought he was so cute and kind. " Leia hiccuped, blew her nose, and then proceeded. "Sorry….His name is Han, and Mom, I really liked him! We hung out and talked for hours."

Padmé felt for her daughter and wished she could hold her. Leia had always made friends quickly, but when it came to boys, she had to admit the young lady was a little naïve. Padmé blamed herself. She had kept her daughter in the dark about too many things concerning her father. "Take a deep breath, calm down, and tell me what happened."

Leia did so and continued. "There was this stupid dance coming up and Han invited me to go with him. I was so excited. I even bought a new dress. And then…" Fresh tears began flowing. "And then he never showed up! He stood me up, Mom! Why would he do that?"

She was about to offer some motherly advice when Padmé's front door suddenly opened wide and in walked the devil himself; uninvited and completely unexpected.

"Did she tell you?" Anakin asked rather loudly.

"What are you doing here?" Padmé hissed, moving her face away from the datapad.

"Sorry mom," Leia explained. "I tried comming earlier, but I couldn't get hold of you. So, I commed Dad instead."

"I was in the shower, it's all right," she reassured her daughter before hiding a scowl aimed at her ex-husband.

"So? Did she tell you what that idiot kid did to her? Nobody is going to treat my little girl that way! What was his name, sweety?  
Han Solto, or something like that."

"Solo, Dad," Leia corrected.

"Solto, Solo, whatever. I checked him out on the way over here," Anakin continued, walking behind the sofa where he could be seen on the datapad. "Did you know he was in all kinds of trouble when he was younger? And that he only got accepted to the university through an At-Risk Youth Scholarship Program?"

"Yes, Dad," the young woman informed her father, sitting up a little higher, and drying her eyes. "Han told me all about that. He was in foster care most of his childhood, but he's doing better now."

"Is he?" Anakin replied, and Padmé recognized the tone. Things were about to get ugly.

"Hold on, sweety," Padmé interrupted before disabling the sound and pressing the screen to the front of her robe. She spun round on the sofa to face her unwelcome guest.

"Do you really think you're in a position to give our daughter advice on whom she ought to date?"

"Come on Padmé," Anakin argued as he walked around to sit on the sofa — much too close for her comfort. Padmé glared at him the entire time. "She may be eighteen, but she's still a child in many ways."

"She's smart," Padmé argued, "and she has a good head on her shoulders. This experience may teach her a lesson she needs to learn. And besides, it's not like she was married to him."

Anakin displayed his typical eyeroll whenever Padmé gave sound advice. He never liked it when she won an argument.

She engaged the audio again and gave her daughter her full attention. "Listen honey, have you talked to Han? Asked him what happened? Maybe he was detained or.."

"Went with someone he knew he'd get lucky with…" Anakin murmured beneath his breath, which earned him a swift elbow in the ribs.

Padmé chose to ignore his exaggerated exclamations of pain and continued to focus upon her daughter. "My advice is to sleep on it, Leia. Then, when you're feeling better, tomorrow go find him and talk to him. Don't make any rash judgments before then. Okay?"

Anakin had to put in a last word and craned his neck to get in on the conversation. "And if that doesn't work, I'll come find him and kick his ass."

"Dad!" The inherited eyeroll presented itself before Leia managed a smile. It was small, but Padmé was pleased to see it.

"I love you, honey. Try to get a good night's rest. You'll feel better in the morning."

"I love you, Mom. Thanks."

Anakin, whose big head was still in the way cleared his throat.

"Love you too, Dad."

"I love you sweety. I meant what I said. Just one word, and I'll be there."

"Good night you two," Leia blew a kiss to the screen and then disconnected.

Now, there was another matter to attend to. Padmé put on her fiercest face.

"Listen, you can't just come into my apartment whenever…"

She wasn't able to finish her demand due to the doorchime ringing.

"Do you hear that?" she pointed out while walking that way. "It's called a doorbell. Most people know how to use one. I suggest you learn."

She was sure it was Dormé, who was notorious for knowing whenever Anakin had stopped by, and would find some excuse to come over herself. The woman loved a good argument, and there was no one better to argue with than Anakin.

But it wasn't Dormé. In fact, it was someone she hadn't expected, and Padmé felt a blush rise up her chest and onto her face. Her hair was wet, she had her robe on, as well as her big, fuzzy houseslippers.

"Good evening," Obi-Wan announced with a fantastic smile. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

Padmé wrapped her wet hair around her hand and nervously brought it over her shoulder.

"No, of course not," she assured him.

"That's good. Here, I brought you these."

From behind his back, Obi-Wan presented a small but beautiful bunch of flowers; all delicate and pale.

He continued once she took them. "I wanted to congratulate you on the position you've acquired at the university, and to let you know that I'm looking forward…"

Just then, his eyes darted from her face to high over her shoulder and Padmé's stomach flopped.

"Hey," came a voice sounding deeper than usual. Due to the surprise visitor, she had completely forgotten about Anakin being there. "Padmé darlin', who's this?"

Her dinner was creeping up into her throat. "Anakin, this is Obi-Wan Kenobi. He's a professor at Galactic City College."

"I hold doctorates in ethics and philosophy, actually," Obi-Wan corrected, which Padmé silently thanked him for. Anything to help put Anakin in his place would be welcome.

"Obi-Wan, this is Anakin Skywalker…"

She hadn't finished her introduction when Anakin stepped forward stretching up to his full height, which was a few inches taller than Obi-Wan, and extending his hand.

"Padmé's husband and father to our two children."

"Ex-husband," Padmé corrected.

"It's nice to meet you. I've heard about you."

"Have you?"

"All good things." Obi-Wan grinned and boldly held Anakin's scrutinizing glare. "Padmé and I have spoken before."

"Is that so?"

The two men stood toe to toe and Padmé knew she had to do something. This ancient mating combat ritual was as old as the galaxy itself and it had to stop!

"Anakin, go sit down on the couch. I'll be there in a minute." She gave him a good shove, which he actually paid attention to and did what she asked. For once.

"I'm sorry," she tried to explain, but was stopped by Obi-Wan's waving hand.

"Don't worry about it. It's obvious there's something going on and I've intruded. Please forgive me. The flowers are from the entire  
staff, actually. Everyone is excited to welcome you to the school. I'll see you there tomorrow."

With a slight bow, Obi-Wan backed up and then turned and walked away. She knew there was no stopping him, but she was going to do her best to stop the man sitting on her sofa.

"Anakin!" Padmé shouted after the door closed and she walked back into the living area to confront him. "How could you be so rude?"

"Oh come on, Padmé. Him? Obi..whats-his-name…You can do better than that!"

"You don't even know him!" She shouted. This man always brought out her worse!

"He's a brainer! A geek! An old geezer! "

"I'm not having this discussion with you. You need to get out." Once again, Padmé used all of her one-hundred pounds to force Anakin out of the room. Only this time, she was shoving him toward her door. "And if you don't start knocking or announcing yourself before you come barging in, I'll have Typho change the security code!"

"Hang on Padmé," he was still arguing although he did seem to be leaving.

"No more. Go. Now!"

He stepped out into the hall but smiled at her the way he used to. "Don't I get a goodnight kiss?"

The nerve! Padme didn't respond. She just slammed the door.


	8. Chapter 8

**Lessons in Love/Chapter Eight**

* * *

Her first class had fifty-two students enrolled. Her second and third later that week each had forty-six. That's one-hundred and forty-four students to inspire and one-hundred and forty-four papers to grade. She hoped she hadn't bitten off more than she could chew.

Padmé smiled as the largest group filed out, despite their grumbling. Was there anything wrong with assigning a research paper at the end of the first session? She didn't think so.

"How did it go?"

There was a familiar voice in her doorway. She was going to wait until after class to go find Obi-Wan and apologize for Anakin's rude behavior the night before. Obi-Wan deciding to come find her first gave her some hope.

"Not so bad, actually. They seem eager to learn."

He stepped inside the room, his hands casually placed in the pockets of his dark gray tweed jacket. "They're mostly good kids. Just keep your lessons interesting and modern and you'll do just fine."

There was a bantha in the room, figuratively speaking, and the silence between them only made it loom larger. They both began addressing it at the same time.

"I'm sorry about…"

"Go ahead," Padmé offered, wanting desperately to hear what he had to say.

Obi-Wan grinned and placed his hands behind his back, looking rather contrite. "I'm afraid I lied."

She hadn't expected to hear that. "What do you mean?"

"When I came over to your home and told you the school staff had bought the flowers for you, I lied. I purchased them myself. I'm sorry I wasn't honest with you."

How very interesting. "Why weren't you?"

He nodded with complete understanding. She was a psychology professor, what else did he expect?

"Because I felt I was being scrutinized and would suffer by comparison. I was embarrassed and reacted poorly."

How could he feel that way? "Obi-Wan, I apologize for putting you in that situation. It never should've happened. My ex-husband has a way of rubbing people the wrong way sometimes. He was only there because of our daughter. We actually don't see that much of each other."

Obi-Wan stepped up closer. She breathed in his rich, musky fragrance and noticed that today his eyes were green.

"Seeing the two of you together brought up some painful memories of when Siri left me. I was surprised that after all this time, because of her, I seem to have trouble trusting women. But with you, I would like to make an exception and take the risk. Go out with me tomorrow night."

It wasn't a question, and she didn't mind that at all. "Time?"

"I'll pick you up at eight, your place. Wear you're dancing shoes."

He quickly kissed her cheek and then walked away, leaving Padmé thrilled but apprehensive.

Dancing!? Surely, he wasn't taking her to a club!

* * *

The senate committee meeting the next day ran late. There'd been extensive dispute over an important tax bill, and they had ended up tabling the entire matter. By the time she'd arrived home, she was annoyed, frustrated, and running behind.

Padmé freshened up quickly, changed her clothes and tried to fix her hair, but it wasn't cooperating. By the time Obi-Wan arrived, she was frazzled and couldn't hide it.

"Good evening," he began, one brow lifting in concern. "Bad day?"

"You have no idea," Padmé worked the brush she had badly tangled in her hair. "I'll be ready in a minute."

"Nonsense," he replied. "Allow me."

Obi-Wan grabbed her hand and led her to the common room, where he gently seated her on the couch and began to untangle her hair. The methodical movements of the brush worked through each strand and snare, and soon had her groaning with relief.

"Thank you. That feels nice."

"If you'll allow me, I can help even more."

She wasn't exactly sure what that meant, but was willing to trust him and see. "Go ahead."

Her long hair was lifted and placed over her shoulder and slowly, his hands began kneading the tight muscles of her upper back and neck. Padmé could feel the tension ebbing away.

"You need to take better care of yourself. Do you practice yoga?" he asked, but she was too euphoric to answer.

"Mm mm," was all Padmé could manage to say, and she hoped it translated.

"I could teach you some basic postures sometime. It will help reduce some of your stress."

Padmé was silent as his ministrations continued, and she felt completely relaxed by the time he had finished.

"There," he noted before sitting down beside her. "Better?"

"Much," she replied, moving her head back and forth to test its elasticity. "Thank you. Are you ready to go?"

He smiled and took her hand in his. "I admit I had plans for us, but I'm also aware when someone needs to stay home and rest."

"I'm fine, really." Although he had made her feel better, staying home sounded like a wonderful idea.

"I tell you what. I want you to go fill a tub with the hottest water you can stand. Get in it and soak. While you're doing that, I'm going to fix us some dinner. "

"But…" she began to argue, only to be silenced by two of his fingers, which gently caressed her lips on their retreat.

"No debate, senator. I insist."

She couldn't remember the last time she had taken a bath, and Padmé found it strange she was doing so now. Obi-Wan was persuasive, however, and she stayed in the hot water until her skin got all wrinkly.

By the time she had slipped into a dressing gown and had put up her clean hair, a wonderful aroma had filled her home. Dinner had been prepared and was already on her table.

Obi-Wan pulled out her chair, "Mi-Lady," he addressed her as she sat.

"Thank you, sir."

Displayed before her were a variety of roasted vegetables surrounding perfectly browned pieces of fowl. While she appreciated all the trouble he had obviously gone to, Obi-Wan poured her a glass of wine. Then something occurred to her.

"I had all this in my pantry?" That didn't seem possible. Her supplies had greatly diminished since her children had moved out.

"I actually went out and bought a few things."

"A few? How long was I in the tub?"

"Quite a while, actually," Obi-Wan chuckled. He seated himself next to her and began filling her plate first before serving himself.

He had talked about comparisons the day before, when it was obvious he exceeded her ex-husband in every way. She had been too blinded by lust in the beginning to recognize it, but Anakin had always put everyone and everything else before her and the children; especially his own needs and desires. It seemed Obi-Wan was the opposite in all aspects that mattered.

The food was as good as it smelled, and Padmé savored every bite.

"Tell me about your day. What had you so worked up?"

This evening and Obi-Wan kept surprising her. Even when her children were living at home, she didn't bother them with the stresses of her job. It was nice to have someone to talk to other than Dormé about it.

"Typical rude behavior of ill-advised constituents," she explained in a nutshell.

"I can imagine," Obi-Wan consoled. "I don't think I would enjoy arguing with those opposing my views all the time. It sounds tiring."

"It can be," she agreed, "but it also can be rewarding, especially when we win." She smiled at him, chewing another delicious bite.

After dinner, they took their wine out onto the veranda and enjoyed the cool evening air.

"This city never stops moving, but somehow I find that comforting."

"I agree" Padmé noted, staring out at the passing vehicles. "All of these beings out and about, going here and there. Even though I live by myself, I'm never truly alone."

When she averted her eyes away from the skyline, Padmé noticed Obi-Wan was looking at her in such a way, it made her heart race. If she was correct, he was going to kiss her. Instead, he cleared his throat and checked his chronometer.

"It's getting late. We should head back inside so I can help you clean up."

"Are you kidding?" Padmé argued. "You made dinner! And it was wonderful! I'm not about to let you clean up as well."

"It will go faster if..."

"I insist," she replied with mock scowl, throwing his previous words back at him.

"All right…all right. I know how you like to get your way."

"Oh, is that right?" Padmé laughed as they walked back into the house and made their way to the door.

"You are a politician after all," he continued teasing, prompting her to pinch his waist.

Obi-Wan playfully grabbed her hand and twirled her around until they were face to face, torso to torso, the teasing smiles vanishing, to be replaced with yearning. He was so close, she could feel the heat of his body and see the white flecks in his eyes.

"I…" he stammered, easing her away. "I should go. Thank you for the pleasant evening."

"No, thank you," she told him breathlessly, "for everything."

He smiled and backed through the doorframe she was holding onto for support. "See you tomorrow."

"All right. Good night."

The door slid shut, and Padmé squealed with delight. She fought the impulse to contact Dormé right away. Nothing had really happened, other than him being a complete gentleman and treating her with utmost respect – something she could get used to.

He had given her a massage and made her dinner! Who was she kidding? She had to tell her best friend! Padmé ran to the comm to do that exact thing when her doorbell rang. She checked the wall chrono on her way back. It was getting late. Who could that be?

When she opened the door and saw Obi-Wan standing there, she was as confused as he looked.

He seemed to be arguing with himself and then suddenly uttered, "Oh, what the hell," and stepped forward to claim a kiss. A smoldering, powerful kiss that weakened her legs and set a fire in her belly. His hands held her head while he devoured her mouth, leaving her out of breath and shaky.

"Good night," he said simply after he withdrew, and then left as quietly as he had come.


	9. Chapter 9

**Lessons in Love/Chapter Nine**

* * *

Like most married couples she knew - with the exception of Dormé and Garen, kissing was for the young, something done during the honeymoon period of a relationship. It was an activity nearly nonexistent the more years spent together. Or maybe that only applied to her marriage. Whatever romance they shared had died as soon as Padmé discovered her husband's infidelity. Even when they were newly married, however, he had never kissed her like Obi-Wan just had. That kiss had left her dazed and faint, and yet she craved more. And it was the first! How could she ever survive sleeping with him?

Sleeping with Obi-Wan, now there was a thought that just might keep her awake tonight.

The good news had to be shared, and once again she went to her office to comm her best friend, and once again her efforts were interrupted by a visitor. This time, it was a knock.

Perhaps….she didn't want to think it aloud. If that kiss had done anything to him like it had her, they would never be able to pry themselves apart!

Padmé swung her door open, only to be gravely disappointed to see her ex-husband standing there.

"Not tonight, Anakin," she boldly told him before shutting the door in his face.

"But I knocked this time!" he yelled through the obstacle.

"I don't care!" she yelled back. "It's late and I need to get some sleep!" Padmé wasn't sure that tactic would work. The man was excessively stubborn.

"Come on, Padmé! I really need to talk to you. It's important."

She heaved a sigh and opened the door, recalling Obi-Wan once telling her she was too nice. Well, here was proof he was correct.

"You'd better be telling the truth," she said, stepping out of the way and allowing him to enter. As he walked by, she could definitely detect the smell of alcohol on him. Anakin didn't drink often, but when he did, he'd always turn into an emotional wreck.

"I've been waiting for hours," he mentioned before collapsing onto sofa, not even bothering to remove his dirty work boots first. "I never thought that guy would leave."

What? "You were spying on me?" Her defenses were certainly being raised.

"No, nothing like that," Anakin argued, slowly sitting up and then holding his head. "I just needed to talk to you and I wanted to do it when you were alone."

Padmé chose a seat on the opposite side from him, across the sofa table. A barrier between them may be a good idea. "Then get on with it," she suggested, and not too kindly.

"Chermira broke up with me today."

She wasn't sure if he was crying, as his head was lowered. But then he wiped his nose onto the back of his hand, and commenced to dry it on his pants, so it was possible.

"Here," Padmé offered him a tissue from the nearby end table instead, which he accepted. "What happened? I thought you two were serious."

"We were," he explained, sitting back, and indeed Padmé noticed his eyes were red, but that may have been from drinking. She couldn't be sure. "But then she found out something."

Padmé tried to guess what he was about to say, and from experience, she was convinced Chermira found out he'd cheated on her. Old habits die hard.

"She found out I'm in love with someone else," he admitted, meeting her stern gaze.

See? "And how old is this one?" she couldn't resist saying.

"Uhm.." he was thinking hard, his eyes searching his brain for the answer upward and to the right. "Forty-Three I believe. Nope!" he snapped his fingers and pointed at her. "Forty-Four!"

Padmé eyed him suspiciously, her previous good mood becoming sour. He couldn't mean…

"Dating someone closer to your age then? That's probably a good idea," she pretended innocence, hoping her intuition was wrong.

"Come on, Padmé, don't play dumb. You know I'm talking about you."

Her eyes automatically squeezed shut. Maybe when she opened them, he will have disappeared. Nope, he didn't. He was still sitting there like a lost puppy, his face searching hers for a kind or hopeful gesture.

Sorry. She just couldn't offer him that.

She usually didn't answer calls this late, but was grateful for another interruption.

"Let me go answer that and I'll be right back."

Padmé walked to the kitchen to get a drink of water to help settle her nerves and then retrieve the live feed from in there. On the screen next to her cooling unit, two familiar faces appeared, in conference. Leia was the first to speak.

"Mom, is it true you and Dad are getting back together?"

What? "Who told you that?"

"Dad did," Luke replied. "He sent a message earlier and said something had happened and he was on his way over to your house to win you back."

"So?" Leia pressed. "Is it true?"

By that time, Anakin had entered the room, looking rather sheepish and guilty. She stared at him with a mixture of pity, disappointment and annoyance.

"No, I'm afraid it isn't sweety," she honestly told her children. "We are definitely not getting back together."

Luke simply nodded his head. He actually didn't look that upset. "Okay. Mom, I have to run. I just wanted to hear it for myself. Later."

Her son's side of the screen went dark, but Leia's face remained. "Dad? Are you there?"

"Yes, sweetheart," Anakin replied, stepping into view.

The young woman glanced at both her parents, a sympathetic grin upon her face. "I know you are both in tough places in your lives and are searching to find what's best for you, but this isn't it. Mom, I was ten years old when you and dad split and it wasn't fun. I missed him terribly, but I didn't miss all the bickering and fighting, name-calling and backstabbing. I love you both, but it's easier to love you when you're apart than when you're together. It just doesn't work. Be honest and talk about it and I bet you'll agree. I'll talk to you soon. I love you both. Bye."

The screen then went completely black, leaving both adults stunned.

"When did she get so wise?" Anakin was the first to ask.

Indeed, their little girl had grown up. "I told you she has a good head on her shoulders."

"So," Anakin paused, sounding a little discouraged. "You agree with her?"

Padmé spun around to face him, hating to be the bearer of bad news, but Leia was right. "Anakin, you know what happens when we're together. And besides, you're gone all the time, and I don't want to be alone anymore…"

"Padmé," he took both her hands in his and led her to table, which he sat upon himself, "I promise it'll be different this time. I run my own business now. I'll give up the racing circuit and focus just on the ships. Plus, I have a new exhaust modification I can sell. I've already got someone interested…"

"Anakin," she tried to interrupt him.

"…and he says with the right marketing, I could really bring in some decent credits. It might mean me working a few extra hours at the shop for a while, but I…"

"Anakin!" Padmé spoke more loudly.

"Huh?"

She shook her head at him despairingly. "Don't you see? This is what I'm talking about! You don't listen to me! You only care about what you want! About what you think!"

This time, the intrusion was not wanted or necessary, and Padmé answered the comm she was receiving rather rudely, changing her tone immediately when she realizing it was Obi-Wan's face appearing on the screen. She took a deep breath and tried to recall the magical way he'd made her feel just moments before – all while waving Anakin out of view and pointing for him to at least go sit at the table in the corner.

"I hope I didn't wake you, but I wanted you to know I had a wonderful time tonight," Obi-Wan began, the blue in his eyes glittering against the glowlight on his desk. "I couldn't stop thinking about you and I was wondering…I mean….would I be too forward to ask if maybe we could…"

There was the sound of shuffling behind her which Padmé chose to ignore. Come to find out, she shouldn't have.

Up in the corner of the screen, a reflection revealed a shirtless Anakin walking up behind her.

"Hello there Mr. Obi-Wan," he said pretty much like she imagined any other serpent would do. "You'll have to excuse us, but Padmé and I were about to retire for the night."

She was shocked at his attempt to vandalize her new relationship, and the venom quickly rose in her blood.

"Come on honey," he whispered in her ear, loud enough for Obi-Wan to hear. "Let's go back to bed."

She angrily turned to explain to Obi-Wan what was going on, only to be horrified to discover he'd already disconnected.


	10. Chapter 10

**Lessons in Love**/**Chapter Ten**

* * *

When she first found out Anakin had cheated on her, she'd cried. In hindsight, her tears had little effect. Anakin seemed contrite at the time, but then a few months later, had returned to the same lifestyle. Padmé had made few demands of him the first time and had accepted his sincere apology; thinking he would change instead of risk losing his family.

The second and third times were different. She was angry and ended up having to replace most of her dishes. Afterward, she presented him with demands and ultimatums, and he abided by them; for a while.

The fourth time, she'd had enough. There were no tears, no emotional outbursts. She simply packed his belongings, contacted the head of security, Captain Typho, and filed for divorce. Anakin hadn't exactly left quietly though, and made a complete fool of himself before the magistrate. However, through months of resistance and denial, Padmé finally convinced him their marriage was over.

And then, there was the Senate. This was her second term, and she had learned, when dealing with stubborn and difficult people, it did very little good to respond with anger or malice.

Despite her knowledge and experience, Padmé's first reaction was to punch Anakin in the throat. But then what? Doing so wouldn't resolve this situation. First things first.

Without saying a word to him, she stepped to the cabinets and withdrew a mug, some dehydrated caff, and a pinch of ground garmala root Dormé swore by. She placed it all in a kettle of water and set it to boil; waiting patiently without speaking, although highly aware Anakin was watching her every move.

When the concoction was ready, she poured it into the mug and handed it to him.

"Drink this."

Her lack of response had apparently caught him off guard. He looked completely baffled; even a little paranoid. He took the drink and sat cautiously at the kitchen table.

"This is terrible!" he complained, only to receive the harshest glare Padmé could create. Apparently, it worked. Anakin shrunk back in his seat and focused on emptying the mug, scowling the entire time.

Five minutes. She would give it five minutes to work. There was no point in having any type of rational discussion when he was drunk. She wouldn't waste her time. In the meantime, she would stand there silently with her arms crossed and judge him.

"Come on. Say something," he begged, which she chose to ignore.

Four minutes.

"Real mature, Padmé. You're always claiming to be the grownup in this relationship. You can at least slap me or something. I give you permission."

Three minutes.

"Come on! All right, since you aren't going to talk to me, I'll try to explain. I never stopped loving you, and isn't that all that matters? Love? For your information, I never loved any of those women I was with. I don't even love Chermira. I don't think."

Two minutes.

"We have a family, and we need to be a family! We were meant to be together, and I'll be damned if I let some stranger move into my home and be a father to my kids!"

One minute.

"I told you what I was willing to do. I'll be what you want me to be. Just tell me what that is."

Padmé stared at the wall chrono and counted down the seconds before turning her attention to him. She then sat down at the table and leaned forward on her arms, steepling her fingers.

"First of all, shut up. Don't say a word. Listen to me and don't interrupt."

He opened his mouth, had a second thought apparently, and then leaned back with his arms crossed.

"It's been ten years since our divorce, and it's taken me nearly that long to become accustomed to the fact I wasn't married; that I was a single mom. That was difficult enough, but when the kids moved out, I had an entirely new situation to get used to. I thought it would be impossible; learning to live alone, but you know what I've found out? I'm finally free. I'm free to pursue whatever I feel like doing, to get up in the middle of the night and go shopping if I want to. I don't have to worry about someone worrying about where I am, what I'm doing, or when I'm getting home. It's been very liberating. "

"But what about this Obi-Wan guy?" Anakin asked after her long discourse.

"I don't know," she honestly answered. "I enjoy his company. He's kind and friendly, supportive, and honest." Padmé put a heavy emphasis on the last word, causing her ex-husband's gaze to drop from guilt.

"If our relationship becomes serious, that's fine. If it doesn't, that's also fine. It's my choice, not yours. Anakin, we are divorced. Divorced!" she repeated. "Which means you have no say in anything I do, anywhere I go, or anyone I date. Do I make myself clear, or do I have to turn this into a legal matter?"

Her words seemed to take a while to sink in. "Where does that leave us?"

Did he just not get it? "There is no us!" Padmé took a deep breath and lowered her voice. "After our divorce, I was hoping, for Luke and Leia's sake, we could remain friends. But if you keep up with this insane behavior, that's not going to be possible."

He had to know how serious she was.

"I really messed this up, didn't I?"

Padmé shook her head in disbelief. What an understatement. "My question is, what are you going to do about it?"

He looked confused, so she hurriedly explained. "I know how you like to fix things. You always have been great at that, but I'm not talking about us. We are irreparable. I'm talking about what you did to Obi-Wan. You need to fix this. And soon."

Anakin seemed to struggle with the demand, literally squirming in his seat until finally yielding. "All right. I'm sorry, Padmé. Really I am. For a lot of things."

She nodded her head and displayed a small smile. There may be hope for him yet. Perhaps a visit to Chermira was in order.


	11. Chapter 11

**Lessons in Love/Chapter Eleven**

* * *

She had changed her mind. Regardless of what Dorme thought and what Obi-Wan had told her, she wasn't 'too nice.' She had planned on visiting Chermira this morning in order to give them her blessing; to convince Chermira that she and Anakin belonged together.

On second thought, she owed the young lady nothing. She owed Anakin nothing. They could deal with their personal problems. She had plenty of her own.

One of which was on the horizon this very morning. She had a class to teach, and was entertaining thoughts of avoiding Obi-Wan. Padme had asked Anakin to take care of the situation, but she couldn't trust him to do that. The man was actually quite untrustworthy. She had decided, it was ridiculous to try and avoid an inevitable confrontation. She needed to explain. Hopefully, Obi-Wan would listen.

Padme arrived earlier than usual and stood in the hallway which adjoined her building to Obi-Wan's. She was nervous but determined and took a bold step forward. The hallways were empty at this time, but would soon be filling up with students. If she was going to do this, she needed to hurry. Inside his classroom, however, behind his desk was a stranger.

"Good morning! I'm Kit, Kit Fisto. I'll be filling in for Mr. Kenobi today. Are you a student? Can I help you find your class?"

The substitute was of the Nautolan species with large eyes, long tentacles, and an enigmatic smile. He seemed friendly, but she didn't have time to make a new friend this morning.

"No, thank you," Padme answered quickly and simply. "I'm looking for Professor Kenobi."

"I believe Mr. Kenobi has taken ill and won't be coming in. Is there anything else I can help you with?"

She might've answered, but wasn't sure. Not getting to talk to Obi-Wan this morning was disappointing and Padme walked back down the hallway toward her own room, her mind focused on alternative options.

Which is why the sudden appearance of a rather exuberant young Calamarian who attended her Tuesday class made her jump. Her name was Yulna and she was a chatty thing.

"Oh my gosh, Senator Amidala, did you hear? I just happened to come in early to go to the library before class. I was up with my little sister last night real late. She's been having these bad dreams lately and I didn't get a chance to write that paper you assigned. I thought I'd do it this morning. But when I got here, I noticed there was this huge crowd in the west parking lot. Everyone was out there, you know?"

No, she didn't know. She actually always parked on the east side. "What? Slow down Yulna and tell me what happened."

Her student literally slowed down her rate of speech. "There. Was. This. Crowd. Outside..."

Seriously? "Yulna, please get to the point."

"It was a fight. There was this guy. I think he was drunk. He was trying to fight Mr. Kenobi! Can you imagine?"

What!? "Yulna!" Padme gently grabbed the Calamarian by the shoulders. "Was he hurt?"

Her student seemed surprised by her level of concern, narrowed her reptilian eyes and leaned back. "Kinda. I mean, Mr. Kenobi didn't put up much of a fight. I think the drunk guy got in maybe one or two hits, but that was all. He could hardly stand up."

She already had a very strong suspicion but lacked hard evidence. Padme had to ask, but released Yulna's arms first.

"Did the drunken stranger have a moustache? Was he wearing all black leather? Was he taller than Mr. Kenobi?"

"How did you know? Were you out there? I didn't see you out there. But it was crowded, so I actually couldn't tell who was there and who wasn't. It was pretty exciting though. An actual fight on campus! Involving a professor! That doesn't happen very often. I can't wait to…"

"Thank you, Yulna," Padme interrupted. "You'd better get to the library and get that paper done."

"Oh yeah! Bye Senator!"

Her student was actually in for a surprise. She'd have another week to complete the assignment. Padme didn't take off work very often, but she was today.

Her alternative options had drastically changed, although there was one constant: She must speak with Obi-Wan, especially now.

* * *

Padme double checked the address on her personal datareader. This area of Coruscant was unfamiliar to her and was considered the more dilettante section of the city. She had already passed multiple inking parlors, abstract art galleries, as well as some unconventional looking eateries.

If the location was correct, Obi-Wan lived in a flat above a yoga studio. "Yoda's Yoga" was painted on the front door. Along the side of the building was a staircase that led up to another door, which had been painted a variety of hues. Padme approached it and knocked. When it opened, her eyesight drifted down. And then down even further.

Expressive, large green eyes set between a pair of wide, pointed ears greeted her.

"Help you, how can I?"

Well, that wasn't grammatically correct now, was it?

"Hello. My name is Senator Amidala. Does Obi-Wan Kenobi live here?"

Those big eyes seemed friendly, but they were slightly disconcerting at the same time; as if the owner of them was capable of reading her mind or something.

"He does. Come in, you may."

Padme followed the being who was quite short in stature, taking in the apartment at the same time. There was a mixture of furniture here, accommodating to him as well as Obi-Wan and it occurred to her that the two of them appeared to be very good friends; possibly even roommates.

"Stay here, you shall. Notify Obi-Wan, I will."

She did as she was told, choosing to sit in one of the larger chairs. While she waited, Padme took note of an interesting but intriguing collection of paper books, antique religious items, and several things she couldn't label.

A door opening drew her attention away from the uniqueness of the space. When Obi-Wan entered, Padme stood slowly to greet him, immediately noticing the developing bruise on the side of his face.

"Oh my stars, are you all right? I heard what happened. Obi-Wan, I'm so sorry!"

He stared at her for an uncomfortable minute before motioning for her to sit back down. He joined her, but across the room, she noticed.

"I'm fine," he answered solemnly.

"When I discovered you cancelled classes today, I assumed the worse."

"Assumptions are often hijackings of the truth," he stated flatly. "I'm fine. I just didn't want my students to see me like this."

What else could she say? What could she do to make this better? "I'm so sorry," she repeated, understanding how lame that must sound.

"Padme…."

He had said her name before in such a way that warmed her body from the inside out, but this time, it sent an icy chill down to her toes.

"I work hard to maintain a peaceful life of solitude and intellectual contemplation. I think you are a beautiful woman and I enjoy your company, but this," he took a moment to point at his face, "is not what I expected. It's not what I need in my life right now."

He took a breath and seemed to have difficulty with what he was wanting to say.

"I know this wasn't your fault, but your... situation is not something I'm willing to become involved in. It's too….chaotic, which has a negative impact on my chakra. Do you understand?"

Yes, she understood. She understood she must hire a hitman to permanently rid herself of her ex-husband! This was so unfair!

"Yes," Padme answered sadly. "Again, I'm sorry you had to go through that. I actually didn't believe Anakin would ever do anything like this."

"I hope we can remain friends," he announced upon standing, telling Padme, her visit had come to an awful end.

If that was the best she could get, it would have to do. But she wasn't happy about it. "Surely, we can manage that," she replied with false pleasure.

He walked her to the door and wished her well, and that was that.


	12. Chapter 12

**Lessons in Love/Chapter Twelve**

* * *

There was only one thing to do at this point, and one place to go: Her best friend's house. Dorme was the most qualified counselor Padme could think of.

As the two shared a cup of tea, Padme laid out all the sordid details of the past week. It was no surprise, Anakin's attack on Obi-Wan angered her friend the most.

"I can think of a hundred different ways to dispose of that man," Dorme replied. "Just in case you need any ideas. Since Garen works for the Transportation System, we could complicate his business so badly, he couldn't tell which end was up. But his drinking, Padme: It sounds like its much worse than it used to be."

"I know," Padme agreed wholeheartedly. She felt sorry for him, but then, she didn't. Again, not her problem, was it? "I think Chermira may be partially to blame for that. I hear she likes to party and Anakin's probably just trying to keep up with her."

"He needs to act his age."

"True. That would solve a lot of issues. I was thinking now that the children are grown, I don't need to worry about protecting them so much, do I?" she wondered aloud.

"Exactly," Dorme said, leaning back and putting her feet onto the sofa table. "Let them finally see what their father is capable of. Maybe that will knock some sense into him."

"Leia has an idea, I believe, but Luke…"

"Lives in his own world. He always has."

Padme smiled. Dorme knew her children almost as well as she did.

"So, now what? Are you going to keep teaching? Give Obi-Wan a wink and a wave whenever you see him in the hall?"

"I don't know," Padme moaned, rubbing her eyes. She was so very tired.

"I tell you what," the other woman sat up and placed a friendly arm around Padme's shoulders. "If I were you, I'd take some time off. Relax a little and get my head straight before I made any important decisions. You could use a break."

A break? "That sounds wonderful." And then she remembered. Leia! Leia's fall break was next week! She would go to Alderaan and surprise her daughter and spend a few days with her there.

* * *

Alderaan was one of the most beautiful places in the galaxy; other than her home planet of Naboo, of course. It had one thing Naboo couldn't boast of however, and that was snow-covered mountains. They were so very majestic and peaceful. Padme had trouble keeping her eyes off them on her way into Aldara City, where she was scheduled to meet with Bail and Breha Organa, a rather wealthy couple who had been close friends of her family for years.

She stepped off the private transport and into the arms of the handsome Alderanians.

"Padme, it's so good to see you," Breha sincerely told her.

"How was your trip?" her husband asked, also giving her a hug.

"It wasn't that bad," Padme answered, taking the offered arm of Breha as they walked toward their impressive multistoried home. "Thank you so much for the ride. I wanted to surprise Leia. Have you heard from her?"

"She dropped us a line when she first arrived, but you know these young ones these days. They're all so busy," Bail pointed out.

"We'll let you get rested up and then have someone take you over to the university right away," the older woman told her. "She'll be so surprised to see you."

Padme tried to do as they'd suggested, but she was too excited to see her daughter and ended up changing her clothes and staring at the mountains until it was time to go.

The private driver took her to the freshmen dormitory and gave her his contact information should she need a ride again soon. She thanked him and then made her way inside.

Padme was pleased with her daughter's accommodations, other than the fact the entire back wall of the lobby faced the mountains and provided the most gorgeous views! How was Leia ever able to concentrate and study with them staring down at her?

Soon, a lovely dark-skinned girl approached, introducing herself as the Resident Adviser, and asked if she needed any help. When Padme told her whom she was here to see, the girl's face brightened.

"I know Leia. She's awesome. We love having her here. I believe she has a class right now, but you're welcome to wait in the lobby if you'd like."

Padme thanked the RA and found a cushioned sofa to sit upon; one that faced the floor to ceiling windows. She soon became mesmerized by the way the snow blew off the crests and drifted through the blue sky like soft, white feathers, until she suddenly fell sound asleep.

"Mom?"

There was a hand gently nudging her shoulder, but it was the recognizable voice, which woke her up, and the beautiful face that kept her awake.

"Leia!" Padme hugged her daughter enthusiastically.

"Mom! What are you doing here? I started packing yesterday and was leaving in the morning to come home!"

"I wanted to surprise you! I took some time off…"

As soon as the words left her mouth, Leia's brow lowered skeptically. "You? You took time off?"

"Yes, I know it's hard to believe, but I did. I wanted to come see you at school. It's lovely by the way, and the view…"

"I know!" Leia exclaimed looking skyward out the glass. "It took me a while to get used the mountains. For the longest time they were a little distracting."

"Speaking of distractions," Padme stood up and took her daughter's arm. "Let's take a walk and you can tell me what happened between you and Han Solo."

"Well…" Leia began with a smile as they made it down the steps in front of the dorm and headed toward the front lawn. "You were right," the young woman admitted. "He was actually in the infirmary the night of the dance. Food poisoning, apparently. I went to see him the next morning and he looked absolutely awful. He was so kind and begged my forgiveness. We've been seeing each other almost every day since."

"Every day?"

"Mom, when it's real, you know it deep down, so why fight it?"

She could argue that point until the dewbacks came home. "Are you saying you're in love with this boy?"

"He's not exactly a boy. He'll turn twenty-eight this spring."

Once again, Padme bit her tongue. Her daughter had proven lately that she was wise beyond her years. Hopefully, even in this, Leia knew what she was doing.

"And yes, it's love. I knew it from the moment I saw him. And he feels the same way."

"That's nice," Padme managed to say, knowing her heart wasn't in it. She hadn't fooled her daughter though.

"Okay, let's have it. You don't agree. I can tell by your tone."

"Here, let's sit." The older woman took a seat on an ornate bench nearby and her daughter followed. "Listen, I've been in love a few times. The first was with a boy in school named Palo. But he and I were too different and wanted different things. It didn't matter how I felt about him, we didn't agree. There was no future for us.

"Then, there was your father. What I thought was love at first was probably just lust. "

"Ew! Mom! Even though I'm in college, I'm still your daughter. That's gross."

"Sorry, honey. The truth is, the passion we had for one another grew into love but it took a while. I do love him now and most likely love him still, but he's not good for me – like you so eloquently pointed out already."

"Is that all? Just that one guy and dad?" Leia sounded surprised, and so was Padme. Had she really only loved two men in her life? Or was she overlooking someone?

"Actually…" Padme considered telling her daughter about Obi-Wan Kenobi. What harm would it do now that their relationship had been friend-zoned? She didn't think it would be a problem, and decided now would be the best time to approach the subject. It wasn't very often the two of them spoke of such matters. "I was seeing someone."

"Oh really?" Leia teased, rubbing her shoulder against her mother's. "Tell me about him."

"When I took that part-time job at Galactic City College, we met. He works there as a psychology professor. We went on a couple of dates. I had a lot of fun with him."

"You're using a lot of past tense verbs," her daughter pointed out. "Did something happen?"

Her father happened, but Padme wasn't ready to explain all of that to their daughter. Not yet. In time, she imagined Leia would figure it all out on her own.

"Things got…complicated," she chose to say instead.

"Isn't that the way love is sometimes?" Leia pondered, her dark eyes becoming distant and dreamy. "But you know what, mom? If it wasn't difficult, it wouldn't be worth it. And if anything in this galaxy is worth the fight, it's love."

Padme gazed at her daughter with a mixture of pride and worry. True, Leia was considered an adult now, but she still had much to learn. Padme remembered being that age herself, and even though she had accumulated a lot of experience out in the galaxy by that time, she had still been so naive. The look on her daughter's face, though, told Padme there must be something going on with her and Han. If it was love or not, she wasn't sure.

There was one thing Leia was right about, however, and it was that love was worth fighting for. But how can you fight when you don't have a partner to fight with?


	13. Chapter 13

**Lessons in Love/Chapter Thirteen**

* * *

During her three-day visit to Alderaan, Padme had managed to meet a few of Leia's professors and friends. She spent some time with the Organas as well. The most important meeting, though, was with the man so prominent in almost every conversation she had with her daughter: Han Solo. Padme found him to be ruggedly handsome, although a little too arrogant for her tastes. Leia wasn't her, however, and her daughter seemed very happy.

There were two days left in Leia's school break, and Padme thought it best if she returned home and leave some time for Leia to enjoy with her classmates. She hugged her daughter, asked Han to take good care of her, and bid the Organas farewell. She had thoroughly enjoyed her visit, but there were a few things she needed to tend to on Coruscant. As Dorme had suggested, the mini holiday had helped, and some important decisions had been made.

* * *

"Where do you want these glasses to go? To the right or the left of the sink?"

Padme brought her head of the box she was currently unpacking and answered her friend. "I think the right will be fine."

It was a good decision to move. Her new apartment was much smaller, which would be easier to keep clean. Plus, it was closer to downtown and the senate building, which would mean a shorter commute. Although Dorme had warned her about focusing too much on her job, Padme promised the move was a matter of convenience.

"What are you going to do with all this extra time?" Dorme had asked her earlier.

She had considered several things, actually. Perhaps she might begin a new hobby: Painting possibly, or maybe needlecrafts. There was always volunteer work to do. It was up to her, really. There were many things she'd always wanted to try.

Her new home was just beginning to come together. She'd been extremely lucky to find one on such short notice, especially so close to downtown. Padme hung her favorite holopic of her children on the common room wall behind an overstuffed sofa and stood back to admire it. There were only two bedrooms in this apartment. If both her kids came to visit at the same time, somebody was going to sleep on the couch. And it wasn't her!

There was one person who was not welcome any longer and that was Anakin. A quick stop at the courthouse when she got back took care of that. Filing an Order of Protection was a lot easier than she'd originally thought. Hopefully, now Anakin would see she meant business and he would finally understand she wanted him out of her life.

Indeed, a visit to the mountains had helped her prioritize a few things, and in doing so, Padme had decided it was high time she started thinking about herself; not Anakin, not her children, and definitely not Obi-Wan. That last one was most difficult, she'd discovered. He seemed to sneak into her thoughts from time to time, but she was determined to get on with her life and experience new things.

Before that happened, however, there was one task left, and she dreaded it the most.

Along with the decision to simplify her life and make it more convenient, she had settled on focusing upon one career, not two. The career she chose was the one she was best at, and that was politics. Upon her return, she had contacted the school and tendered her resignation. It was an added burden she should have never put on herself.

Resigning wasn't even been the most difficult part. She still had to go to her old classroom and gather up her personal belongings; some books, a datareader, a coat still hanging on the back of her chair. Padme just hoped whenever she did so, Obi-Wan wouldn't be anywhere around. She didn't want to see him and wouldn't know what to say if she did.

Friends he had said. How could she be friends with someone she fantasized about sleeping with? It seemed unhealthy, and she would prefer to avoid any contact with him at all.

She knew a little about his daily schedule and was planning on picking up her things late in the afternoon the following day. Surely, she could slip in and out without being noticed.

* * *

Most students enrolled for morning classes, mainly to be available to work odd jobs in the early evenings. This freed up many professors as well, who chose to go home for the day. She was hoping Obi-Wan was one of those, although she wasn't sure.

With stealth she was proud of, Padme crept down the hallway and silently entered her empty classroom. As she grabbed her coat, she heard a squeak behind her and turned to see Yolna.

"Senator Amidala! You're back!"

Just great. "Something you needed?" Padme asked while preparing her ears for a long-winded story of anything that happened while she was away, which she was sure would include every minute detail.

"Nothing!" her student said instead before disappearing.

How confusing and unexpected. Padme had a bad feeling about this. She sped up her efforts, rushed about her room grabbing her things, only to discover she wasn't fast enough. When she looked up to head out, Obi-Wan was blocking the only doorway.

"Hi," he said so nonchalantly it almost made her laugh. Was he out of breath? "I was hoping to see you before you left. I was told you quit. Why did you?"

As a teenager, she'd often had an argument with her mother about the whole truth being the actual truth. Well, too bad, mom. Obi-Wan was only getting part of the truth today.

"I decided I 'd taken on too much and needed to give up a few things – to rid myself of some of that chaos I had accumulated, you know?" Padme cringed at that last part. She was starting to sound like some of her students and she'd said it a little too sarcastically.

"I see," Obi-Wan replied blankly. Against his leg, his hand was twitching, rhythmically thumping his thigh. He was nervous, and his body language supported that diagnosis. But why?

"Do me a favor," he asked, which automatically made her worry. "I know it's a little early, but would you come to the cafeteria and have dinner with me? For old time-sake? No tubers this time. I promise."

This completely went against her plan! In and out, Amidala. A quick pick-up and then leave. No strings attached. No fond farewells. Easy.

Whoever said love was easy? Nobody, she didn't think.

"Sure," she said and could scarcely believe the word had come out of her mouth.


	14. Chapter 14

**Lessons in Love/Chapter Fourteen**

* * *

The college cafeteria was busy as usual, if not even a little more crowded. As before, Obi-Wan asked her to have a seat, proving what a true gentleman he was, and went to retrieve her food. It seemed to Padme he was gone a long while, or perhaps her nerves were getting the best of her. She was anxious. What would they talk about? He wished to be friends, but she simply wasn't in the mood for intellectual conversation. Not today.

"I ordered you a salad, mi'lady. I hope it meets your approval." The twinkle in his eye and the smirk of his mouth showed he was teasing, although his demeanor still revealed nervousness.

Obi-Wan set the plate in front of her, and she had to admit the food looked much fresher than anything usually served in the cafeteria. "Thank you," she replied, laying the napkin across her lap. He sat opposite her and smiled apprehensively. On his plate was something drowning in brown gravy.

"How have you been?" he asked, lifting a dripping forkful of protein.

It was going to be one of those conversations, huh? An awkward meal filled with nothing but small talk? Why did she agree to this? If he started talking about the weather, though, she was going to lose her appetite. This was what she had wanted to avoid. But then, she supposed, they had to start somewhere.

"I visited Leia last week," she told him, taking a small bite of greens.

"I hope you had a nice visit. I'm sure she was pleased to see you."

"I did, thank you."

They ate in silence for what seemed like an hour, which was actually only a couple of minutes. This was ridiculous. He wasn't himself, but then neither was she.

"Obi-Wan," Padme finally had to ask. She'd always been one who preferred to get to the point rather than missing the mark indefinitely. "Why did you ask me here? Was there something you wanted to say?"

He wiped his hands on his napkin, which he then placed over his plate. He was about to speak, but apparently changed his mind and took a drink of ice water instead. When that was done, his eyes darted past her and he nodded his head.

Suddenly, voices in unison began singing a familiar tune. Many voices.

"What in the stars?" Padme slowly spun in her seat to see about fifty or so students were standing by their tables and were singing accapella. It was a song which spoke of regrets, forgiveness, and love salvaged. When she turned back, Obi-Wan wasn't in his seat. He was standing right next to her, his hand extended.

"Would you care to dance?"

Actually, she didn't, but Padme couldn't tell him no. His nervousness now explained, she didn't want to disappoint him, and readily accepted the invitation.

They danced in a narrow pattern to keep from bumping into furniture as the choir accompanied their steps.

"I knew you left Coruscant," Obi-Wan admitted, his intense gaze holding her captive. "While you were away, I ran into a friend of yours. I was shopping at the market and while checking out, she recognized my name and introduced herself. We shared lunch plus a long and rather interesting conversation."

_Why was he telling her this? Had he met another woman already? Was friendship really their only future? _

"Dorme is a….unique character," he explained with a smile.

_Oh, good heavens! What had they talked about? _"She's been my best friend and confidante since nursery school," Padme informed him.

"She knows you well," Obi-Wan agreed as they lazily rocked to the music. "And has a persuasive way about her."

_If you only knew, Padme thought comically. _"I hope she didn't embarrass me."

"Quite the contrary. She actually helped me make a decision."

He was baiting her. She realized that, but the words had to be spoken. They had to move forward. "What decision is that?"

Obi-Wan's movements ceased, his countenance no longer nervous; it was now quite serious. "All this time, I've carried the damage of what Siri did to me everywhere I went. She broke my heart. I'm broken, Padme, but if there's anyone in this galaxy who can fix me, I believe it's you."

Without warning, Obi-Wan knelt on one knee.

And Padme panicked.

"Senator Amidala," he began, "would you…?"

And then he began laughing and stood up. "I won't do this to you. Not right now. You should see the look on your face!"

Padme took a deep breath and released the tension that had rapidly built up. "Are you trying to give me a stroke?"

"No, I just wanted to express my sincerity," he explained, smiled warmly and reached for her hands. "What I wanted to say is, I would like to date you. Exclusively. What I surmised from the long conversation I had with your friend is, I don't know you very well, and I would like to."

All her worry, fears, and nervousness miraculously evaporated and was replaced by a brilliant and blessed hope.

"I would like that," she told him quietly, leaning forward.

"Good," he acknowledged huskily, slowly matching her posture until their lips met in a tender kiss, which had the students applauding wildly.

"Well, isn't this just sweet?"

Ugh. She knew that voice!

The kiss was broken, the blissful moment shattered, and she and Obi-Wan both turned to find Anakin standing just a few feet from them, a crumpled document held tight in his fist.

"Padme! What the hell is this?"


	15. Chapter 15

**Lessons in Love/Chapter Fifteen**

* * *

He had never struck her; not once in their ten-year marriage, but she had never seen him this angry before. In her own defense, Padme backed up, placing the table between herself and Anakin.

"What's the meaning of this?" he demanded, crumpling up what she assumed was his copy of the protective order, and angrily throwing it to the floor. Obi-Wan quickly picked it up she noticed before turning her attention immediately back to her ex-husband. Anakin had moved to the right around the table, so she shifted her location as well, maintaining what she hoped was a safe distance.

"Padme, please!" he begged loudly. "Can't we just talk about this? Why are you doing this to us? To our family? We should all be together. I love you!"

The man was positively mental!

"I've already explained myself," she responded quietly. There were many ears in the room, and frankly, she really didn't want them all knowing her personal business. Then again, it was a little late for that, wasn't it? "By coming here, you've violated a legal order," she warned him, causing them both to rotate counter-clockwise yet again. Anakin huffed in frustration.

"I didn't agree to that, and you can't keep me away. I know you still love me. You're just being stubborn like you always are."

Anakin's next movement met an obstacle; one which surprised them both.

Obi-Wan had placed himself between the two of them and aggressively shoved against the younger man's chest. "I suggest you leave before you get into trouble. You're trespassing."

Obi-Wan stood his ground while Anakin bowed up to him. "And you need to mind your own damn business! I thought I already taught you that lesson once. Do I need to do it again? I'd be happy to!"

Padme shouted out in shock and fright as Anakin threw a punch. The blow failed to connect, however, causing Anakin to lose his balance and stumble forward. He twirled around looking for his target, but Obi-Wan had quickly dodged and was now standing at least five feet away, balancing himself on bent knees.

"You little sonofabitch," the younger man spewed in anger, rushing forward, only to be tripped and kicked in the buttocks as he passed. The result was Anakin falling flat on the floor, a sight which drew a roar of laughter from the watchful crowd. A few of the students had started chanting, "Kenobi!" "Keobi!" during the fight, which infuriated her ex-husband even more.

Anakin hurriedly jumped to his feet, his face flushed red, and started bouncing up and down like some prize fighter. "Ok. If that's the way it's gonna be, then let's do this. Just remember, you asked for it."

He came again at Obi-Wan, a bold fist flying, which was remarkably blocked. Not only that, but somehow, Obi-Wan, defying gravity itself, leaped from the floor, did a twist in mid-air and slammed his booted foot against Anakin's jaw.

There was a crack followed by a thump as his body hit the floor, a few seconds of silence, and then an eruption of cheers. While the students jumped out and down chanting Obi-Wan's name, rejoicing in his victory, he and Padme checked on the status of the loser of the fight. Anakin seemed stable, just unconscious.

Padme's eyes widened as she turned to look at Obi-Wan. The man wasn't even breathing hard!

"How did you do that?" she asked, her voice filled with wonder.

Without the slightest hint of pride, he answered her. "I'm in one of Yoda's_ advanced_ yoga classes."

* * *

In a short while, one of the deans who had witnessed the intruder's attack returned with two security guards. Obi-Wan handed them the wrinkled document he'd retrieved.

"That's a legal protective order signed by Mayor Vallorum, himself." He then pointed to Anakin's lifeless body. "That man shouldn't be within three-hundred feet of this woman."

"Senator Amidala," Padme introduced herself.

"Senator." The two armed men each shook her hand respectfully. "We'll be sure to hand this one over to the proper authorities right away. Sorry for the inconvenience."

Padme watched them escort a sluggish Anakin out the doors without a single thought of sympathy for him. He had brought all this on himself, and he deserved any amount of trouble it caused him. Luke and Leia would simply have to accept it. She'd done what she needed to. Perhaps now, the children would understand who their father truly was.

All of Padme's attention would be on one man; and from this moment on, she had a feeling, she'd be seeing Obi-Wan Kenobi in a different light.


	16. Chapter 16

**Lessons in Love/Epilogue**

* * *

The balcony that came with her new apartment wasn't as spacious as the old one. Not even close. The view, however, was substantially improved. At a distance, Padme could see the senate district, its focal point being the domed senate rotunda. Also within sight was the senate office building and plaza. At this time of the evening, with the sun setting on the horizon, the buildings were beginning to light up and looked like blazes of gold. The plaza itself looked like a glittering sky.

This was her favorite time of the day and whenever she had the opportunity, Padme would come out here to relax. The biggest difference now was that she wasn't alone.

As if on cue, Obi-Wan stepped out onto the veranda, handed her a glass of wine, and placed a kiss on her temple. He then leaned in, placing his free arm comfortably around her waist, joining her in appreciating the beauty of the Galactic City sunset.

He was silent, and she recalled a time when that made her nervous. Back then, she'd worried what he was thinking. After nearly a year of seeing one another almost daily, she knew him well enough now to understand: What was on his mind was usually something good, honest, and pure. She figured that out after only a few months. It had taken her children much longer, but in time, they had come around.

What had convinced them was seeing how obviously happy their mother was.

After six months, he'd moved in. They hadn't even discussed a formal commitment, which was fine. She didn't need one. Their dedication to one another was unspoken and true. As were so many other little things.

Padme had told her daughter once she probably still loved Anakin, which had been partly correct. He was the father of her children and she'd always care about him in a way. The love she had for Obi-Wan, however, was different. It resided not only in her heart, but also her mind. It seemed impossible, but from this vantage point, she could see eternity.

_Love is patient, love is kind. _

_It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. _

_It does not dishonor others, it is not selfish. _

_It is not easily angered and holds no grudges. _

_Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in truth. _

_It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  
_

_Love never fails. _

_I Corinthians 13:4-8NIV_

/End

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AN: Thank you readers for the reviews. I'm not sure what's next. I've outlined 3 new stories but can't decide which one to write first. I'll have to think on it...


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